Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Hello to my NEW (2015-2016) Babies (and their FABULOUS parents too!)

Hiiii to all of you, my new friends, my new classroom family!  Yes, I will refer to you as my babies and yes, we will probably have a dance party or two if the mood should strike us.  I said IF.   I am so very excited to meet you and absolutely CANNOT wait to get to know you!!!  This is your go-to site for all things in our classroom.  Each day, I will post updates about our day in the classroom so you and your parents can feel as if they are a part of our day and any questions about subject matter, homework, or content can be answered through this useful tool.  I have used this since 2010, but the last few years (prior to this past school year of 2014-2105) haven't been updated as periodically as before (sadly, prior to last year, I only had about 4-5 students at home with computers so it wasn't being utilized to the fullest potential as it had in years previous).  Take a tour and become acquainted with how I "roll"- specifically focusing on the years 2010, 2011, and 2012 and this past year of 2014-2015 especially (starting in January 2011, specifically - you can find these in the archives on the left side from the toolbar).  I like to post videos of our day, links to help sites, tips, and highlight homework in case you have any questions. Also, scroll alllllll the way down to the bottom to see many links worthy of your viewing and perusing (and bookmarking, perhaps)

I must interrupt this post to let you know that I have posted some journal entry topics that you can access by clicking the link under the header or by clicking HERE; have posted questions and fun activities having to do with Loser that you can access by clicking HERE (questions about the first 50 pages); former students have posted some advice and testimonials you can access by clicking HERE; FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) for your parents accessed HERE; MORE specific details about my background in teaching HERE; and my projected math syllabus for the year found HERE.  Again, all of this can be found by clicking the specific page links under the header at the top of this blog.  

Now, back to this post...
I thought you'd like to at least know a little bit about me so you can feel at ease with having the semi-new gal on the block here at Saint Mary as a part of your 5th grade school year life.  Thus, I am giving you a few lists/ notes about me in bulleted form (and a few pictures too) so we can start to get acquainted!  You can also click HERE for some FAR more detailed info about me coming from the pages tabs atop this blog under the header.
here I am as a 5th grader on the left (the pumpkin!) and as a 6th grader in the pic on the right (I'm the French Maid, back middle)
I'll try and find my 5th grade yearbook picture...it's a BEAUT!  (totally kidding- it's 100% embarrassing)
Basic Information-

  • Name: Mrs. Abby Thomas
  • Age: 31 (yikes!)
  • Birthday: January 6th
  • Marital Status: Married --> Husband: Brad
  • Children (my heart!): 2 --> Jack, age 3 (Born April 3, 2012); Harrison or "Harry", age 7 months [well, by the time school starts he will be] (Born January 5, 2015)
  • From: Winchester, KY
  • College: Western Kentucky University (major: Elementary Education, minor: English)


Misc. Information-

  • Favorite Food(s): spicy food (especially jalapenos and Buffalo Wing sauce); seafood (any, but ESP. scallops, calamari, and king crab legs); feta and brie cheeses; brownies and cake balls

  • LEAST Favorite Food(s): I DETEST mayonnaise!!!  (Seriously, the sight of it makes me vomit). mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, celery, and any meat from a can (to those I say, NOPE, NOPE NOPE!!!)

  • Favorite Music: broad genre 90s' music will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart (seriously, SiriusXM 90s on 9 is my JAM); ANY Classic Rock, (but ESP. The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, CSNY, CCR, Fleetwood Mac, the Beatles, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Boston);  and Indie/ Folk Rock (the Avett Brothers, the Alabama Shakes, Old Crow Medicine Show, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros)

  • What you'll find me watching: Grey's Anatomy, the Bachelor/ette, Survivor, Modern Family, Chrisley Knows Best, and constant reruns of Seinfeld (the greatest show of all time. Period.) and the Office

  • Favorite Sports Team: college-UK (sorry Louisvillians, I am diehard too! Sorry not sorry we've had to stick it to you in some high stakes b-ball games as of late!  tee-hee  And YES, we did indeed go to the Final Four in Indianapolis this past year and YES we did indeed go home super, SUPER sad.  Like, didn't speak the whole way home sad); NFL- Indianapolis Colts (my in-laws are season ticket holders!)

  • Favorite Picture Books: Drummer HoffStand Tall, Molly Lou MelonClick, Clack, MooRainbow Fish

  • Favorite Young Adult Chapter Books: Breathe by Clif McNish; Bud, Not BuddyThe Witches; Loser by Jerry Spinelli; Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

  • Favorite Subjects to Teach: Reading and Math!

  • First Job: Lifeguard (I did this for 6 summers and will ALWAYS insist that this is the best job ever for a teenager and college age individual!)

  • Reasons I became a teacher: my parents AND grandparents all were; I have always LOVED working with children (I coached middle school cheerleading all through high school, taught preschool in college, first went to college to be a Pediatrician, and absolutely loved school when I was younger)

  • Favorite school years for me: 4th grade (this teacher is who I aspire to be- she was THE BEST!); 5th grade; 7th grade; and 12th grade

  • 5th grade memories: playing Sonic the Hedgehog2 [click there for some fun!] on my Sega game system pretty much every. single. waking. hour; doing grammar work every single morning to start our day (Grammar control and identifying crimes [as Weird Al parodies] against it are pretty much my most favorite thing ever); becoming an aunt (my niece, Cathryn [whom I call, "Prissy"] is almost 20 and is starting her sophomore year at Murray State University this fall); end of the year dance and lock-in; earning a Presidential fitness award; being a Kindergarten big buddy; winning Districts and Regionals for the 2nd year in a row on our school's Academic Team; cheerleading for pee-wee football and basketball; being a part of D.A.R.E.; being an office worker and teacher mini-assistant; and feeling important as the oldest of the elementary level!  It was such a fun year!!!

  • FUN and/ or Weird Trivia: I am TERRIFIED of vomit (seriously, even after having my own child, I still get squeamish and light-headed...and, if you feel the urge, RUN!  If you puke, I puke and that equals one big smelly mess); I am incredibly into fashion; I can curl my tongue into a weird 'T' shape; I can walk on my hands for an abnormally long period of time; I have been friends with some of the people that were in my wedding since before elementary school; I could read when I was 3; I have had 4 surgeries on my knee and need a fifth; I was a competitive gymnast until I was 10; I was a cheerleader from ages 9 to 18 and was named the Most Valuable Cheerleader and captain of my varsity squad my senior year; I once dyed my hair dark, dark brown and my parents and husband begged me to dye it back blonde; I get annoyed with basic grammar mistakes (your/ you're, then/ than, its/ it's, over usage of apostrophes, etc.) in adults because I always say that my students know better and so should they!

  • Favorite fun sites to check out/ bookmark: 
First off, CLICK HERE for our LOSER activities (it's a pages tab that will constantly be planted atop our blog right under our header).  Seriously GO THERE NOW.  Have you gone there yet?  No really, what are you waiting for?  Scoot!  And f you haven't started reading that book yet, Yiiiiiiiiiikes on you.  HOP, HOP, Hippppppity, HOP, HOP, HOPPPPPP. TO. IT. LIKE. YESTERDAY.  Real talk.

NOW, the FUN sites...
You're getting old (seriously, GO to this!  It. is. so. so. cool.)
GeoGuessr
Incredibox
Ron Winter's Online Drums
Mr. Wolfe's Math
Satellite fly-bys (plug in your zip code!)
Cool Math
Akinator (the Web Genie)
Math
Fifth Grade Hands-on Activities
Retro SUPER NINTENDO GAMES online!!!
Chicken on a raft (pointless fun)
Nick Reboot (watch Nickelodeon on the internet just as I watched it on TV back in the day!)

I promise that these sites are so, soooo worth your while!  Be ready to share which sites/ games are your favorite and what you enjoyed most!  Most importantly, warm up those brains for back to school and well, HAVE SOME FUN (while practicing too)!

the Jackman and me last summer (2014) at a wedding in Chicago
Harry and me on July 4th 2015

Mr. Thomas and yours truly... 

Easter 2014

4th of July 2015
My sweet, sweet babes...

4 month photo shoot- Captain Harry the aviator
H was only a few weeks old here, but I LOVE this pic :)


I LOVE H's cute little button nose :)

My boy is Toy Story OBSESSED!


Like I said, I absolutely CANNOT wait to get to know you!  What strange or awesome facts do you have to tell me about you?!?  Hop on over to THIS PAGE to read/ see more :)

xoxo,
Mrs. Thomas

Thursday, July 9, 2015

What's up, my baaaabies?!?

It's been a month since I've written you and oh how I've thought of you often and missed you much! What have you been up to?!?  Obviously not in the sun much because apparently we have done something to upset her and she has gone M.I.A. for the summer.  We should send out a search party if she doesn't come back out for a lengthy stay soon because well, momma Mrs. Thomas is L-O-S-I-N-G her T-A-N.  BOOOOOOO on that.  I need some F-U-N in the S-U-N at the P-O-O-L!!!!  You feel me?!?  What have I been up to you may ask?  Well, here you will find out as noted through the pics below.  I have had a few people ask about being a guest blogger, but no one has written me any posts.  PEOPLE, I NEED GUEST BLOGGER POSTS, PLEASE!  And, I know it is not because you are busy as the pool!  All it has done has rain or be cloudy so another excuse may or may not do :)

Harrison has been seriously fancying dips in Jack's mini pool and the big pool at his NanNan and Poppy's house!  He LOVES it!  He gets his little legs a kicking and splashing and just giggles and laughs.  It's so precious!

 He's also been busy being EXCEPTIONALLY cute.  I mean, just LOOK at this ball of preciousness!


we decided to handle a little constipation the all natural way...prunes :)




We went to the wedding of one of Mr. Thomas's dearest friends in Nashville


This is my friend KC.  She was my suitemate in college :)

We attended Saint Mary's Summer Picnic.  I worked the jar booth on Saturday night and got to see several of my favorite people in the entire world.  Spoiler alert: you guys!

We celebrated the 4th with our friends at a cookout and fireworks celebration at their house










Harrison turned 6 WHOLE MONTHS OLD on the 5th.  Can you believe he is already 1/2 a year old?!?  WOWZA.  1/2 year since he was born and 1/2 until he turns one!  He is working SO, SOOOOO hard on sitting up on his own and pushes up realllllly well on his belly.  I know it won't be long before he's up on all fours and then will be working so hard on crawling.  He and Jack have been having to attend cheerleading practice with me since Mr. Thomas has a new job that requires him to travel all around the country and out of town each week, every week (that's a whole new story for a different day) and so H has been a bit difficult to please because he wants to be out doing things, but he's limited to what he can do since he doesn't really want to lie down, but he can't really sit up just yet.  Anyway, here are his monthly themed pics.  I made him Uncle Sam since he turned 6 months the day after the 4th.  He was none too pleased and some are hilarious.  His pain is your gain.  Enjoy.




And finally, my Big Bub that you all Skyped with a few times during the year (remember him...the one that lives in China?!?) is in for the month from China and we picked him from the airport on Tuesday (July 7th)!!!!  We are SOOOOOO pumped to have him home for the month!!!!!!!  YAAAAAAY!!!!